Catalytic apparatus



June 30, 1931.

4 Shet-Shee l ATTORNEY June 30, 1931. A. Q AE ER 1,812,341 7 CATALYTIC APPARATUS Fild Feb. 4, 1950 4 Sheets-Shee 2 iNVENTO R 1440/9005 0. Jagger A'ITORNEY June so, 1931". A. O. JAEGER 1,812,341

CATALYTIC APPARATUS Filed Feb. 4; 1930 4 Sheets-Shee '3 FIG. 4-.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY June 30, 1931. A, AEGER 1, 12,341

' CATALYTIC APPARATUS Filed Feb. 4, 1930 4 Shej6t$-$h88 4 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY Patented June 30, .1931.

UNITED STATES 'PATENT- OFFICE ALPHONS O. JAEGER, OF MOUNT LEBANON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE AS- SIG-NMENTS, TO THE SELDEN'RESEARCH & ENGINEERING CORPORATION, 01' mm BUB-GE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE CATALYTIC arram'rus application filed February 4, 1930. 'Serial No. 425,831.

This invention relates to processand apparatus for the carrying out of vapor phase catalytic reactions and more particularly to apparatus for reactions which are strongly 5 exothermic or which require delicate temperature control.

While the apparatus of the present invention is applicable to all vapor phase catalytic reactions, both exothermic and endothermic,

it is particularly important in highly exothermic or delicate reactions and in its more specific aspects it will be described in connection with such reactions. However, it is generally applicable, and the following reactions are given as typical examples of va or phase reactions in which the principles {of he present invention can be effectively utilized:

1. Reactions in which an intermediate oxidation product is produced. The oxida- 2 tion of benzol, toluol, phenol, tar phenols or furfural and other compounds containing the group -CH CH=CHCH to maleic acid and fumaric acid or mesotartaric' aldehydes and acids; xylenes, seudocumene,

mesitylene,paracymene and ot er derivatives to the corresponding aldehydes and acids; naphthalene to naphthaquinone, phthalic anhydride and maleic acid; phthalic anhydridetdmaleic acid and -fumaric acid; anthracene to anthraquinone; phenanthrene to phenanthraquinone, diphenic acid, ,phthalic anhydride and maleic acid, acenaphthene to acenaphth lene, acenaphthaquino e bisacenaphthylidenedione, naphthaldehydic acid, naphthalic anhydride and hemime' litic acid; fluorene to fiuoreno'ne; eugenol and isoeugenol to vanillin and vanillic acid; methyl alcohol and methane to formaldehyde; ethyl alcohol to acetic acid; ethylene chlorhydrine to chloracetic acid and the like.

' 2. Reactions in which an undesired impurity is burned out, such as thepurification of crude anthracenes of various degrees of impurity with total combustionof carbazole, dead oils and in some cases phenan-,, threne; purification of crude naphthalenese' and crude mononuclear. hydrocarbons, such bans, such as parafins, ole

as benz ols and the like; purification of ammonia from coal tar with the burning out of the organic impurities such as phenolic bodies present, etc.

3. Oxidation of mixtures of organic compounds to desired intermediate products with removal of im urities such as the oxidation of crude antli racenes, phenanthrenes, and the like to intermediate products such as anthraquinone, phenanthraquinone, diphen ic acid, phthahc anhydride, and the like with concomitant removal bf carbazole and dead oils by total combustion; the oxidation of crude tar acids to maleic and fumaric acids with the combustion of certain impurities, etc.

Reductions and hydrogenations, such as reducing nitro compounds, for example nitrobenzene, dinitrobenzene, nitrophenol, nitronaphthalene and their homologues to the corresponding amines or the corresponding hydrogenated amines, the reduction of aldehydes and ketones to alcohols, such as benzaldehyde to benzyl alcohol, a-cetaldehyde to ethyl alcohol, crotonaldehyde to the corresponding butyl alcohol, and the like, the reduction of oxides of-.carbon to methanol, me-

thane, higher alcohols and ketones or petroleum-like products, the hydrogenation of aromatic compounds to alicyclic compounds such as benzene to cyclohexane, naphthalene to tetraline or decaline anthracene to hydrogenated anthracenes, p enol to cyclohexanol,

acetylene to ethylene and ethane, and the like,

polybasic acids to inner esters, such as phthalic anhydride to hthalid, camphoric acid to campholid, and t e like, reduction of nitrogen containing heterocyclic compounds to aliphatic amines such as phridine to amylamine are also of importance.

In addition to reactions inwhich a more or lesshomogeneous raw material is reduced, certain mixtures of raw materials may be effectively reduced with or without the presence of additional reducing gases. Thus, for example, oxides of carbon ma be reduced in the presence of the'vapors 0 many organic compounds. For example, they may be re- I duced in the presence ot aliphatic hygiiocar- I nes, ace y enes,

h drocarbons having the formula 11 4, 211 etc. Hydrogen may be present or absent, and the class of products obtained,

' may be reduced in combination with oxides" such as mixtures of oxygenated compounds,

or in many cases oils which are predominately hydrocarbon in their nature, will vary with the amount of the reacting ingredients and with the contact masses and reaction conditions used, and it is an advantage of the pres ent invention that these novel combined reductions can be carried out in the desired direction with great effectiveness by the incorporation of suitable stabilizer promoters or stabilizers in the contact masses.

Another class of combined reaction con-.

sists in the reduction of oxides of carbonwith or without hydrogen in the presence of vapors of aliphatic alcohols, such as paraflinalcohols having the formula C H OH, or unsaturated alcohols having the formula C I'I OH, or C H OH, etc. Polyvalent alcohols such as glycol, glycerol and the like,

of carbon with or without hydrogen.

Oxidation products of alcohols, such as, for

1 example, saturated or unsaturated aldehydes and ketones, or oxidation products of polyvale'nt alcohols, such as glycolaldehydes, glyoxal, glyoxylic acid, oxalic acid, and the like,

may be used for vapor hase reductions in the presence of oxides o carbon and hydrogen. Oxidation products of trivalent alcohols and divalent isomeric alcohols may also be used, of course only where it is possible to obtain the vaporsof the compounds without undesired decomposition.

Aliphatic acids form another important class of compounds which can be reduced in combination with oxides of carbon. The acids include fatty acids, oxyacids, lactones, polybasic acids, ketone acids, and the like. Other miscellaneous aliphatic carbonyl compounds such as aldehyde alcohols, diketones,

trike-tones, oxymethylene ketones, ketone aldehydes, ketone alcohols and the like, may also be combined with oxides of carbon and reduced in the presence of the contact mass described above to form many valuable products. v v i In addition to compounds of the aliphatic series which may-be reduced together with oxides of .carbon, various compounds of the alicyclic series, such as, for example, alicyclic compounds, for instance, cycloparalfina'cycloolefines, cyclodiolefines may be obtained with oxides of carbon and reduced. Examples of specific members of this class are cyclohexane, cyclopentadiene, dicyclopentadiene, and

the like. Of course alicyclic carbonyl com pounds, such as cyclohexanol, cyclohexanone, etc., may be used, it being understood in this connection and throughout the specification that any compound containing the CO group, irrespective of whether the oxygen is' united to carbon with a single or a double bond, are included under the carbonyl compounds.

Aromatic compounds, such as benzene hydrocarbons, naphthalenes, anthracenes, phenanthrenes, phenols, aromatic alcohols, aldehydes, ketones and acids may be reduced in the presence of oxides of carbon and hydrogen, of course only insofar as the products are capable of volatilization without undesired decomposition.

Heterocyclic compounds, such as products containing the, furane nucleus, pyrrole bodies, pyrrolidines and the like, may be re-' duced together with oxides of carbon.

. In the inorganic field exothermic catalytic reactions such as the synthesis of ammonia and the oxidation of ammonia to om'des of as, for example, liquid baths or in some cases gaseous media has been made to present a large surface of catalyst tube as compared with the volume of catalyst and is thus suit-.

able for reactions inwhich temperature controlis a serious factor either because of the hightly exothermic character of the reaction or because of the delicacy of the temperature control required. In small converters no special circulating means for the temperature regulating fluid, either gas or liquid bath,

is necessary as convection circulation from the tubes to the converter shell is suflicient in most cases to provide for adequate temperature control. In some cases in the past this circulation has been aided by agitating means. In order to avoid the diificulties due I to inadequate circulation of the temperature regulating fluid a defined circulation from the catalyst tubes to an external cooling ace and back is provided in the patent to M. Selden No. 1,647,317. When the principles of this patent are applied to converters with vertical catalyst-containing compartments a marked improvement in the circulation of the temperature regulating fluid is obtained, but even with this principle; difficulties arise whenthediameter of converters exceed a certain point, as will be readily apparent when it is considered that any fluid circulating by convection tends to take the path of least resistance. In converters of large diameter even when provided with the necessary vertical baflies to separate the cooling chamber horizontally fromthe chamber surrounding the catalyst compartments and using the principles of circulation of the Selden patent I there is a tendency, particularly in the case of liquid baths, for the temperature regulating fluid to flow up around the vertical cataly's't compartments near the vertical bafiles in the case of a converter using-the circulation of the Selden patent or the converter shell itself in the case of a converter not provided with this circulation means and a relatively stagnant portion ofbath is to be noted in the center of the converter. This stagnant zone becomes a serious matter when large converters are used, particularly where the evolution of heat is very great as, for example, in the catalytic oxidation of organic compounds, such as, for instance, the production of phthalic anhydride by the vapor phase catalytic oxidation of naphthalene and this has limited the size of converters using nonboiling baths to certain maximum diameters with a resultant increase in labor 'cost' and equipment cost for a given output.

-T he present invention, which is in part. a continuation of my co-pending applications Serial No. 275,044 filed May 4, 1928 and Serial No. 369,544 filed June 10, 1929, provides one or more horizontal baflies fitting sufficiently tightly around the vertical catalyst compartments so that the temperature regulating fluid cannot flow along the catalyst compartments through the baille. It is thus possible to produce a positively defined circulation with the-elimination of the hot spot in the center of large converters, which has been so serious a disadvantage in the past.

In its broader aspects the present invention is not limited to any particular design of horizontal battle and includes, for example, bafiles which extend from one converter wall nearlyto the other converter wall and produce a crisscross circulation over the catalyst tubes as illustrated, for example, in Fig.

13 of my co-pending application Serial No.

124,569 filed July 24, 1926. This construction can be used both with gaseous and liquid temperature regulating fluids and also permits the use of different fluids in different vertical zones where such a differentiation is desired.

In its more preferred modifications, however, the present invention as applied to converters with liquid baths utilizes one or more horizontal baflies which do not extend to the converter walls and which are provided with one or more openings in their center,

portions, with or without mechanical circulation means associated therewith. Sucha baflie forces all of the bath to flow over the center tubes as well as those nearer the periphery and prevents hot-spot formation. A horizontal bafiie with a central opening or openings alone gives very satisfactory results, particularly wherea suitable mechanical circulating device is associated therewith and such a simple, centrally perforated,

claimed broadly, this formin horizontal 'baflie is illustrated in Fig. 2 or the present application, which will .be de- This combination is shown in a simple modification of Fig. 3, and more complex forms are illustrated in Figs. 4 to 6.

Tremendously effective converters can be produced with a single centrally perforated cross-baflle combined with the necessary baffles to obtain circulation from the catalyst tubes to a separate cooling compartment which is shown in the specific illustrations in the drawings as defined between the vertical bafiies and the converter shell. Difliculty is, however, sometimes encountered in regulatingthe cooling through the converter shell which normally takes place by means of air or other gaseous medium assing over the outside of the shell. The cat capacity of the gaseous medium is low and where air is used, as is most commonly the case because of reasons of cheapness, the temperature of the air will vary with the season of the year and in any event regulation of relatively large amounts of flowing gas is necessary to compensate for differences in the course of the reaction. While this presents by no means an insuperable obstacle and a slmple converter using the converter shell as cool ing means can be used even for the most deli-' cate reactions, it is advantageous in some cases to utilize most positive or more easily controlled temperature regulating means. Thus for example, compartments containing liqui s, especially liquids which boil and which, if desired, may boil at temperatures slightly below that to which it is desired to cool the circulating bath, may be placed in heat exchanging relation therewith either by incorporating them with the converter shell wall or by'immersing them in the bath and preferably in the cooling compartment. In this way a more positive, and in the case of liquids boiling at about the desired temperature, automatic regulation can be obtained and converters of great eflectiveness can be built by the use of this principle. It should be noted that the combination of boiling liquid temperature regulating compartments with a non-boiling circulating bath is not matter of my co-pending application Serial No. 256,189 filed February 23, 1928, but is only claimed in the present application in combination with the horizontal baffle or baflles which forms the subject matter of the broad inventive idea inv the present case.

Fig. 4'of the'drawings illustrates a simple the subject be continuous conduits, especially where they are protected from dangers due to breakage.

More complex combinations of air-cooling and cooling by means of liquid temperature regulating compartments in combination with a plurality of horizontal baflies are shown in Figs. 6 and 7, which represent a complex type of converter especially suitable for very large scale production of ma- .terials such as phthalic anhydride where the evolution of heat is very great and where a very positive bath circulation and temperature control is a prime consideration.

Instead of using boiling liquids'in compartments' to control bathtemperature in combination. with a horizontal baflie it is also possible in many reactions which tend to run away with themselves, as, for example, the oxidation of organic compounds, to employ a bath which boils at a temperature a in excess of that normally encountered in normal operation of the converter but yet at a suliiciently low temperature to prevent damage to the apparatus and catalyst in case the reaction gets out of control. Such a bath, which may be considered as a safety valve, is illustrated in Fig. 5, and presents the further advantage that the bath is in a confined space and, therefore baths such as, for example, molten metal baths, as, for instance,

lead, or alloys of mercury and lead, or mercury and cadmium, or mercury itself may be used, which materials tend to oxidize, and must, therefore, be kept under an indifl'erent atmosphere. The converters in Figs. 3, 4, 6 and 7 are shown as having baths open to the atmosphere, which is feasible in constructions where baths are used such as, for example, a eutectic mixture of sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite which are not attacked J by oxygen. However, if it is desired" to use a metal bath or one which is attacked by the atmosphere the converter types shown in these figures may be provided with suitable closing means which may advantageously be .fiexible in order to avoid putting strains on the tube sheets due to differential expansion of converter shell and catalyst compartments. Such flexible closures are not claimed in the present application per se, but form the subject matter of my co-pending application Serial No. 458,010, filed May 31, 1930, but it should be understood that they can be used with the converter designs of the present application and should be used wherever part of the present invention and. any suit able type of accessory equipment will be used by the skilled engineer in building the apparatus or by the skilled chemist in operating it. v v i A number of modifications of the principles of the present invention have been shown in the above figures in order to describe as many features as possible, but it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular combination of the features shown in the individual figures. On the contrary one feature of one figure may be combined with features of other figures wherever such combination is desirable. Thus, for example, the use of compartments containing liquids as temperature regulating elements may be used in combination with a converter possessing horizontal bafiies without vertical baflies as, for instance, in Figs. 1 and 2, and this feature is in. no sense to be considered useful onlywith converters provided with both horizontal and vertical b'afiles, although for convenience it has been illustrated only in the figures embodying the latter combination.

In order to facilitate clearness of descriprality of horizontal baflies giving a crisscross circulation; V

Fig. 2 is a converter provided with a bath and the single horizontal bafile centrally perforated;

Fig. 3 is a converter provided with a centrally perforated bafiie combined with a cylindrical vertical baflie providing circulation from the catalyst zone to a separated cooling zone;

Fig. 4 is a converter of the general type of Fig. 3 but provided with liquid containing temperature regulating compartments in heat exchanging relation with the bath.

Fig. 5 illustrates a converter of the general type of Fig. 3 but provided with a bath which can be permitted to boil in emergencies; and

Fig. 6 is a compound converter combining the converter shell cooling features of Fig. 3

with the liquid temperature regulating compartment features of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a.- horizontal section on the line 66 of Fig. 6.

The converter shown in Fig. lconsists of a converter shell 1, provided with three tubesheets 2, 3 and 4 from which extend respectively closed-endtubes 5 and open-end I tubes 6 and 7, the tubes 7 extending into the tubes 6 which in turn extend into the tubes 5. Catalyst is arrangedin the form of annuli between the open-end tubes 6 and the closedend tubes 5, being held at the bottom by suitable screens as shown on the drawing. A series of horizontal bafiles 8 extending across the converter in the space where the catalyst tubes are placed, divide it into a series of compartments, and horizontal bafiles 9, which extend only part-way from alternate converter walls, provide for a crisscross circulation in each compartment. 'A series of cooling fluid inlet and outlet tubes 10 and 11 are provided and may be connected either to the same cooling fluid reservoir or to a different cooling fluid reservoir (not shown on the drawing). The flow of cooling medium in the different zones is shown by the arrows.

The converter top piece 12 defines with the top tubesheet 4 a reaction gas inlet space into which reaction gases enter through-the pipe 13. Similarly the tubesheets 2 and 3 define a gas outlet space from which reacted gases pass out through the pipe 14. If desired additional reaction gas is admitted through the pipe 15 into the space defined between the I tubesheets 3 and 4. Suitable plugs 16 are provided in the tubesheet 3 to facilitate introduction'of catalyst.

In operation reaction gas is introduced either through pipes 13 or 15 or both or one.

component of the reaction gas can 'be intrm duced through the pipe 13 and the other through the pi e 15 and pass downwardly hes 7 and 6 where they are preheated by the heat of the catalyst and thence pass up through the catalyst annuli and out through the pipe 14. Cooling fluid is introduced through the pipes 10, passing over the catalyst containing compartments and out through the tubes 11. If'the cooling fluid or fluids are liquids the passage ways 1 may be leftopen if, however, gases are used it may be desirable to use filling bodies, for example of high heat conductivity in some or all of the passages, these filling bodies being illustrated at 16 in the lower two passage ways. If the same liquid is used in all the passage ways a uniform cooling takes place. If a different liquid or the same liquid at different temperatures is used in the different passage ways a' vertical temperature gradient can be provided along the catalyst tubes permitting for example, a higher temperature in the first portions of the catalyst encountered by the reaction gases in the bottom of the closed tubes 5 and a lower. temperature in the later portions of the catalyst, or with highly exothermic reactions a cooler liquid may be supplied to the lower portions of the catalyst in order to compensate for the greater evolution of heat in these portions. When a gaseous medium is used filling bodies may beprovided in some tubes to prevent vertical circulation throughthe baffle around the catalyst tubes and, therefore, no matter how large the converter is a positive flow of cooling medium or in the case of an endothermic reaction heating medium is assured over all of the catalyst tubes and no hot-spot can be formed in the center as is the case in converters which are not provided with horizontal bafiles fitting snugly around the catalyst compartments. It should, however, be noted thatin the figure the baffles 9 do not tightly fit around the furthest catalyst compartment. This is done in order to make the drawing more clear as it is diagrammatic in nature and the spacing of the catalyst compartments is, of course, exaggerated for purposes of clearness. Substantially,-however, the baflie directs the flow of temperature regulating medium over the catalyst compartments without permitting an unrestricted or an insufficiently restricted vertical flow which would permit the formation of a hot-spot in the center. In practical operation, of course, a converted of the design shown in Fig. 1 would have the baflles 9 extend beyond the'last catalyst compartment but such a drawing would render the direction of travel of the temperature regulating fluid unclear, and, therefore, the space between the end of the baflle 9 and the shell 1 is shown in an exaggerated form.

It will be noted that Fig. 1 corresponds to Fig. 13 of my co-pending application, Serial No. 124,569, filed July 24., 1926.

Fig. 2 shows a construction in which a different modification of the horizontal baflie is used to direct the flow of currents generated in the bath. The body of the apparatus consists of a converter shell 21 with top and bottom pieces 24 and 25 and upper and lower tube sheets 22 and 23, between which extend catalyst tubes 30. A horizontal baflie 26 is connected at its central portion with a central tube 27, which forms a well, within which a propeller 28 may be placed, if desired, to control the circulation. The tube 27 is provided with openings 29 above the baiile, in order to permit the flow of currentswithin the cooling liquid. The bath liquid gives ofi the heat taken up from the catal st tubes through the con-- verter shell and ows downwardly along it as it is cooled. The bafile 26 directs the flow along the converter Walls and across the catalyst tubes beneath it, and the liquid heated by contact with the lower portions of the tubes rises in the central well 27, passes throu h the openings 29 and extracts more heat rom the upper portions of the tubes 30. A continuous recirculation of the li uid along theconverter shell and over the cata yst tubes is thus obtained, and an even temperature gradient is maintained in the catalyst tubes without the sharp variations that would result from the use of a number of horizontal compartments.

1 The inc'ommg reaction mixture, which may consist of a mixture of naphthalene and air, may enter the converter at 31 and pass down-v wardly through the'catalyst 32 in the tubes 30, and the reaction gases leave the converter at the bottom, although under some circum stances it may be found desirable to pass the reactionmixture in the reverse direction. The dissipation of heat from the converter shell 21" and the accompanying circulation of the bath, liquid may be assisted by a surrounding air jacket, which causes a draft of air or through cooling medium to circulate over the converter shell and maintain a more positive and even cooling.

The construction of Fig. 3 shows a converter where an even more uniform distribution of a circulating bath is obtained by applying to the horizontal baflie construction the principle of a defined circulation, as described in the J. M. Selden atent referred to. In'this modification the orizontal baflle 26 is con- Q nected to a circular vertical bafiie 34 which defines with the converter shell 21 a cooling chamber 33, and the central well 27 is rovided with openings 35 at the bottom in a dition to the openings 29 at the top. The openings 35 are placed just above the horizontal baflie, an extension of the central tube 27 be-' ing rovided for a propeller if desired, and the ath liquid forced through the openings 35 passes upwardly along the'catalyst tubes 30 and flows over the top of the vertical baflie into the cooling chamber. Abovethe outlets lating chamber 33 is the same as that of the v similar'chamber in the Selden patent;'that is to say the liquid flowing into it over the top of the vertical baflie 34 passes downwardly along it and gives off its heat through the outer shell. Positivecontrol of the cooling action of this chamber may be obtained by means of the air jacket 28, which surrounds the converter shell 21, the flow of the cooling air being controlled by adjustment of the dampers39, or the cooling may be controlled b means of closed-end tubes containing liqui s which boil at or below the normal temperature of the bath liquid immersed ,mar' y desi 'in the liquids in this chamber, as also described in Fig. 4.

The flow of the temperature regulating bath is upwardl along the catalyst tubes 30 and downward etween the vertical baffle 34 and the converter shell 21, this being its-natural direction of flow, since the liquid which has acquired additional sensible heat in takin up the exotherm of the reaction in the tu es 30 tends to rise in this portion of the converter, while the liquid which is cooled in the chamber 33 tends to fall, and is forced by its own weight horizontally under the baflie 26. This action may be assisted or controlled by the propeller 28, and in many cases it will be found that the supplementary propelling means is unnecessary and that the thermo-syphon action of the liquid is entirely sufficient, and it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited to modifications in which the circulation is maintained by mechanical propelling means.

The incoming reaction gas mixture, consisting of a mixture of naphthalene and air, may pass in either direction through the catalyst tubes, but is preferably admitted into the upper manifold 40 and made to pass downwardly through the catalyst, the reacted gases leavin at 41. When the gases are passed in this irection a uniform .tem era- -ture gradient can be maintained throug out the catalyst in the'tubes, since the portion of the bath having the lowest temperature is that surrounding the ower portions of the tubes'30 and the liquid {rises as it'is heated. The modification of Fig. 4, is the same type of converter structure as that of Fig. 3 with the exception that a closer temperature regulation and a more powerful bathcooling is maintained by means of the closed end tubes 42, which are in the separate cooling compartment 33 between the outer shell 21 and theverticalbaflie 34. These tubes are con nected together by means of an upper manifold 43, and contain a liquid which boils at or below the bath temperature and conducts away the heat not removed through the converter shell as latent heat of vaporization.

The vapors. are condensed in the refluxes 44 and returned.

i It is to be understood that in any of the preceding modifications thebath liquid may be of various types. It may consist of a molten metal or of an alloy, or of a salt, or a mixture of salts, such as the nitrate-nitrite mixture referred to. The character and boiling point of the bath liquid will of course depend upon various conditions,- such as the nature of the reaction and the size of the apparatus, as .well as on the type means to be used.

Fi 5 shows a construction which is pried for the use of metals or metal allo s whic would corrode if exposed to the air, ut which also exemplifies a construction of cooling which is of great-utility with bath liquids,

either corroding or non-corroding, having boiling points only slightly above the normal reaction temperatures. In this construction annulus 47, the lower annulus 48 which is at tached to the lower tube sheet 50, and the inner shell 49 which is attached to theup- I of closed end tubes 74 and per tube sheet 51. The catalyst tubes 52 extend between the upper and lower tube sheets in the usual manner, and the horizontal and vertical bafiles 53 and 54 operate to direct the flow of the bath liquid similarly to those which have been described. The upper level of the bath liquid is maintained at a considerable height above the level ofthe catalyst 55 in the tubes, so that the bath liquid which is taking up'heat. from the catalyst is always under considerable hydrostatic pressure. In this manner a bath liquid which has a boiling point under normal conditions close to the reaction temperature can be caused to L recirculate, for a sh ht increase in reaction temperature will not e sufficient to cause the liquid to boil, while sharp rises in the catalyst temperatures will cause boiling of the circulating liquid at its upper portions and consequent removalof the excess heat as latent heat of vaporization. Any vapors so formed are condensed in'the refluxes 56 and returned to. the bath. It is of course understood that in actual operation this converter will be surrounded by a cooling jacket, such as is shown in Fig. 3, this feature having been omitted for clearness of disclosure.

In the modification of F i s. 6 and-7 two sets 5 are used which are set concentrically between alternate sets of catalyst tubes 66, 67 and 68. The converter consists of a shell 61 with bottom and top pieces and lower and upper tube sheets 63 and 64. This shell is provided with reaction gas inlet 80 and outlet 81 and is surrounded by an aincooling jacket 62, which is provided with gas burners 82 around the circumference of the converter to heat the bath when starting up and with flues 83 controlled by dampers 84. Within the shell 61, supported by the tube sheets, are arranged series of catalyst tubes 66, 67 and 68, between which is suspended a baflle structure which may be of any shape, but which is shown as hexagonal in cross-section. These bafiles are suspended from the upper tube sheet 64 and consist of side walls 70 and 7 2 and bottom walls 85. Within the bafiles are mounted rows of tubes 74 and 75 which are closed ofi at their bottoms and connected at their'upper ends to mani folds 76 and 77 which lead to condensers 78 and aredesigned to contain a liquid which boils below the reaction temperature. Any number of battle structures may be arranged concentrically, two being shown on the presentdrawings. The mechanical circulation of.

the bath is efiected by the propeller 79 which partly or whollywith a phthalic anhydride catalyst, this being supported at the bottom by means of a screen which is in turn supported by the screen supporter 65. A vaporized mixture of air and naphthalene, havmg, for example, a ratio of 18 liters of air per gram of naphthalene, enters through the inlet 80 at a temperature of about 150.160 C. The reaction gases passing through the upper portion of the catalyst tubes 66, 67 and 68 are preheated to reaction temperature by the heat of the bath. The heat generated in the catalyst tubes is transferred to this liquid and causes it to rise in the spaces surrounding the tubes, the propeller 79 situated at the center of the converter supplementing the action if necessary. The rising liquid overflows the bafiles 72 and 7 O and comes in contact with the tubes 74 and 75 which contain the liquid adapted to boil below reaction temperatures. The excess heat contained in the circulation liquid is taken up by the boiling liquid in these tubes as latent heat of vaporization and the circulating liquid so cooled descends between the hexagonal bafiles and escapes under the walls 71 and 69, thereby coming into contact with other sets of catalyst tubes. Here it absorbs more reaction heat and once more rises. rising liquid overflows the outer baiile 87, itcomes into contact with the shell of the converter which is air cooled as has been described. It then descends between the baffle 87 and the converter shell and passes beneath the bottoms of the baflles and again comes in contact with the central catalyst tubes. This cycle is repeated and an extremelv eiiicient cooling of the catalyst tubes results since the flow of liquid is always along the tubes instead of across them and a maximum etficiency of heat transfer is thereby made possible.

It is preferable to pass the gases from the top to the bottom of the catalyst tubes, as

When the t to the top of the catalyst tubes. This is of advantage in some reactions which are extremely sensitive as the greatest heat head and correspondingly the most vigorous cooling is encountered in the portion of the catalyst which is struck by the fresh gases. 'Preheating is, however, by no means as effective.

when the gases are circulated from the bottom to the'top as the lower portions of the bath are, of course, below the temperature at which the end of the reaction takes place. In most catalyses, however, this is not serious as the catalyses will usually begin at temperatures considerably below those for maximum conversion and the heat evolved'in the catalyst rapidly brings the latter up to reaction temperature, forth'e catalyst is at all points where vigorous reaction takes place considerably hotter than the bath.

It should be understood that .the terms boiling, non-boiling and .boiling point? are used in the specification and claims to refer to the various liquids under their actual operating conditions and are not intended to define absolute properties of the substances employed. Thus, for example, it is apparent that in the modifications of Figsz4 or 6 the same substance under suitable conditions of pressure or vacuum could be used both as a boiling and as a non-boiling liquid, it being only necessary to place the circulating bath undersuflicient pressure or the closed end tubes under sufiicient vacuum.

The feature of bath agitators operating in substantially horizontal baflie fittingaround the catalyst compartments, said battle being provided with at least one central opening and with openings permitting vertical flow of bath fluid along the periphery of the converter shell wall but fitting sufiiciently tightly around said catalyst-containing compartments to substantially prevent vertical flow of bath through the baflle at points other than its central and peripheral portions.

2. A converter according to claim 1 in which means are provided for positive circutially horizontal bafile fitting around-the catarovided with at, least one centrally locate opening, at least lation other than that due to convection.

3. A catalytic converter for carrying out catalytic vapor phase reactions comprising in combination a substantially vertical converter shell, substantially vertical catalyst containing compartments therein, a liquid bath medium in said converter surrounding the catalyst compartments, at least one substanlyst compartments, and

one vertical baflie connecting with said horizontal battle and separating the catalyst compartment zone of the converter from the con verter shell, said battles permitting flow of bath from the catalyst zone to the converter shellat its upper portion and the reverse flow at its lower portion, the horizontal baffle fitting suficiently tightly around the catalyst containing compartments to Substantially prevent vertical flow of bath through the baffle at points other than its central and peripheral portions.

4. A'converter according to claim 3 in which means areprovided for positive circulation of the bath other than that due to convection.

5. Aconverter according to claim 1, in which a normally non-boilin bath is used and at least a portion of said ath is in heat exchange relation with at least one temperature regulating element containing at least.

one liquid other than that of the bath itself.

6. A converter according to claim 1, in. which a normally non-boiling bath is used and at least a portion of said bath is in heat exchange relation with at least one temperature regulating element containing at least one liquid which boils at a temperature below the temperature of the bath during normal operation.

7. A converter according to claim 3, in

which a normally non-boiling bath is used and at least a portion of said bathis in heat exchange relation with at least one temperature regulating element containing at least one liquid other than that of the bath itself.

8. A converter according to claim 3, in which a normally non-boiling bath is used and at least a portion of said bath is in heat exchange relation with at least one temperature regulating element containing at least "one liquid which boils at a temperature below the temperature of the bath during normal operation. 1

9. A'catalytic converter according to claim 3, in which at least one temperature regulating element containing at least one liquid other than the bath liquid itself is in heat exchange relation with the portion of the bath in the space defined between the vertical battle and the converter shell. 1

10. A catalytic converter according to claim 3, in which at least one temperature regulating element containing at least one liquid boiling at a temperature below that of 4 I the bath under normal operating conditions is in heat exchange relation with the portion of the bath in the space defined between the vertical bafiie and the converter shell.

Signed at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this 31st day of J anuariz, 1930.

- AL HONS O. JAEGER. 

